Harrison County's agricultural heritage runs deep. As a part of the Seven
ranges of Ohio, established by the Northwest Territories Act in 1787, the area
was the first part of the wilderness opened to westward expansion. By the 1790s,
farmers from the east were settling in the area which later became Harrison
County and began carving farmland from the wilderness forests.

By the late 19th Century, Harrison County had become a major
center for wool production, and legend has it that the merino sheep was
introduced to this country when a few of the animals were smuggled out of Spain,
destined for Harrison County. The limestone content of the local soils was said
to produce an exceptional quality of wool.

The 20th Century brought surface mining of Harrison County's coal
reserves, resulting in the disruption of a large portion of the farmland in the
county. The surface mining of coal has diminished significantly over the past
couple of decades, and properly reclaimed strip mined land is being returned to
agricultural use, providing excellent grazing and hay production.

Today, Harrison County boasts more than 400 farms, with an average size of
more than 250 acres. More than 110,000 acres of Harrison County are devoted to
agricultural use today, with total cash receipts for agricultural products
exceeding $11 million annually.